Show Jumping Success At Golden Cross

Info Updated November 2011

Bexhill College put forward 10 riders to represent the College at Golden Cross in 4 team events ranging from 70 cms to 1 metre.

The College won the Baileys Horse Feed County Schools Show Jumping Championships 1 Metre Open Class with 3 double clears. The team was made up of Gabi Pitman, Abi Slater, Leah Hiller and Katie Kingham. Gabi was the trail blazer for the team posting up an impressive swift clear much to the delight of the whooping Bexhill College team. Abi Slater produced a quality rhythm round. Leah Hillier rode a beautiful round on her mare, her second of the day. With three clear rounds the pressure was off Katie Kingham who piloted Chocolate Charlie around the wide course of 12 jumps. Three clear rounds put pressure on the remaining schools and colleges. The 90cms team came 5th consisting of Gabi Pitman, Laura Craner, Leah Hillier and Katie Kingham finishing on 12 faults.

Gabi Pitman said ‘The team worked brilliantly together and there was a great team spirit. Everyone did really well under pressure’.

Jen Stacey, Bexhill college Childcare teacher said ‘The atmosphere was amazing throughout the day with a real team spirit.’ The first team jumped 70cms; they walked the course together helping each other with tips for the jump off and good warm up strategies, even with a stirrup leather crisis the team picked up 5th place.

The second team jumped 80cms very smoothly with three clear rounds which lead to a fantastic outcome of 3rd place, the teams members were Lilly Harrison, Megan Clark, Steph Sayers, Nicole Plimmer and Jamie Reynolds. Megan Clark also won the prize for the best score in East Sussex.
The event was a first for some of the riders so an even more impressive outcome.

The girls represented Bexhill College very professionally and are looking forward to the next event. The College was also approached by a number of riders from our partnerships schools who said ‘I will definitely come to Bexhill College so I can continue to ride in a team when I leave School’

Clare Cole, Head of Sport and show jumping team manager said ‘The students have been committed to team training and today it has really paid off. They are a pleasure to work with and are so keen to improve. We have been using goal setting and how to produce good performances in competition within our sports psychology sessions. I have been getting the girls to aim high! Some of the horse and rider combinations in the 70cms class had never competed before and performed brilliantly.’

Bexhill College riders attend fortnightly training with Penny Sangster, British Eventing accredited trainer, at Beauport Park Riding Centre on Wednesday evenings between 7pm and 9pm as part of the College Enrichment Programme. Riders also have training on rider fitness and sports psychology at college.

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